Catherine Woulfe
Catherine Woulfe is the editor of The Spinoff Books. She is an award-winning news and features journalist, and longtime books obsessive. She welcomes pitches of essays or reviews at catherinewoulfe@thespinoff.co.nz
Books
Jul 5, 2021
The case for more joy, beauty and outlandishness in NZ children's books
Analysis of this year's children's book awards shortlist, plus a celebration of two brilliant books that missed out.
Books
Jun 25, 2021
Every pudding in the Edmonds cookbook, cooked and ranked
The chocolate self-saucing pudding did not come out well.
Books
Jun 11, 2021
Books
May 17, 2021
All the best zingers (and the odd clanger) from the Auckland Writers Festival
Cracks and quips by our country's best writers.
Books
May 14, 2021
Chinese censors refuse publication of NZ union leader Helen Kelly’s story
She is one of the most beloved socialist figures in New Zealand. Chinese printers said: 'We will cancel this title.'
Society
Apr 23, 2021
Auckland’s new school zones: ‘We feel like we’re being kicked out of our community’
How did we end up with a school system, with a social infrastructure, that splits up siblings when they’re five and nine?
Books
Apr 16, 2021
Ben can read
He was another little boy deciding books weren't for him. And then, he wasn't.
Books
Apr 11, 2021
The sexiest lines from New Zealand’s sexiest new book, Devil’s Trumpet
You haven't seen sex written like this before.
Books
Mar 20, 2021
Books
Mar 3, 2021
Ockham NZ Book Awards shortlist, 2021: the brutal cull, revealed – plus, our pick for the win
179 entered; 40 made the longlist; 24 of those just bit the award dust. Here are the 16 that remain, with bonus analysis.
Books
Feb 10, 2021
The pandemic novel that’s about to be a phenomenon
The new virus was said to have a 100% kill rate. But it left one woman standing.
Books
Jan 25, 2021
‘Above all else, don’t bullshit’: Doctor-poet Glenn Colquhoun on caring, and writing, for young people
Glenn Colquhoun on the powerful medicine of poetry.
Books
Dec 28, 2020
A sincere appreciation of The Hunger Games
On the release of a new Hunger Games novel, we looked back and marvelled.
Books
Dec 15, 2020
Twenty books that were a tonic in 2020
In which we throw convention to the wind and simply tell you what we loved – and they're all local.
Books
Dec 11, 2020
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending 10 December
What were you buying as we hit December double digits?
Books
Dec 2, 2020
The type machine: A review of Tom Sainsbury’s Field Guide
He's one of our best-known comics. Why didn't he write a better book?
Books
Oct 10, 2020
Victory Park is the book you’ll want to give to the ones you love
Victory Park is the first novel from Mākaro Press since August 2019, when they put out a little book called Auē.
Books
Aug 30, 2020
Eileen Merriman’s new novel is sharp, sensual and her finest yet
Quite possibly the best NZ novel of the year, according to our books editor.
Books
Aug 18, 2020
I spent far too much time thinking about Midnight Sun
A review of the new Twilight novel, which is actually the old story, told from the perspective of vampire Edward Cullen.
Books
Aug 6, 2020
One man’s poetic pilgrimage along the river he loves
Catherine Woulfe reviews Upstream on the Mataura, a memoir by Gore flyfisherman Dougal Rillstone chronicling his journey along the Southland river.
Books
Aug 5, 2020
‘Writing as Edward stressed me out’: Stephenie Meyer on returning to Twilight
The Twilight author on gender politics, anxiety, and the dark experience of writing as Edward Cullen.
Te Hiringa Hauora
Jul 14, 2020
‘There is a way through’: Mothers open up about maternal mental distress
Four women share their experiences with perinatal distress, and how to get through it.
Books
Jun 16, 2020
The book that saved me from peak Covid-19 anxiety
Thank goodness for Wendyl Nissen and her chooks.
Books
May 19, 2020
A sincere appreciation of The Hunger Games
On the release of a new Hunger Games novel, we look back and marvel.
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